Expansion joint



Nov. 9, 1937. .J. H. JACOBSON EXPANSION JOINT Filed Feb. 9, 1935 INVENTOR JAMES ACOBSON.

HIS ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 9 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My present invention relates specifically to details of construction employed in the fabrication of an expansion joint, which joints as a class are employed in the construction of highways and the like for dividing a continuous ribbon of concrete into a plurality of relatively short adjacent slab sections, the joints themselves creating a space or cushion between the ends of the adjacent slab sections.

The objects of this invention are:

To provide a joint for sealing adjoining slabs of concrete or the like against the infiltration or intrusion of foreign materials, and which joint is split on the horizontal center line thereby forming two like halves to permit the pouring of the concrete slab or slabs in two layers, the first layer of which is to be struck off or screeded at the proper depth and the mesh reinforcing laid in place thereon before the second or last layer has been poured; and

To provide a sectional joint, each like section of which is filled with a plastic and compressible material and which when placed between the adjoining edges of two adjacent concrete slabs will permit of the free and easy movement of these slabs; and I To provide such a joint with a seal, the horizontally extending flanges of which will be embedded in and bonded to the concrete of the adjacent slabs, and thus seal the space between the slabs against the infiltration of foreign matter; and

To provide this joint with a space between the top of the seal and the finished concrete slab, into which space is poured a plastic compressible material to protect the seal and act as an additional sealing medium against infiltration of foreign matter into the space between the adjacent slabs and the seal.

Having the foregoing objects in mind, and others as will be more specifically pointed out in the following specifications and appended claims, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawing, in which:--

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a section of a joint constructed according to one embodiment of my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a joint similar to that shown in Fig. 1 being embedded between adjacent slab sections and provided with a seal which is an element in addition to those shown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the respective views.

- other.

This joint structure contemplates the utilization as before of a stool 5, a metallic seal 6 and a compressible filler 'l interposed between adjacent slab sections 8 and 9.

The element comprising the stool consists of a pair of deep channel sections which are similar to one another in all respects and which are adapted to be placed one above the other so that the open face of one registers with that of the Each channel section comprises a pair of 10 parallel walls l0 and H connected with a cross wall l2, the walls l0 and H each terminating in a flange l3 and I4 projecting substantially at right angles from each respective wall. The outer end of the horizontal flange I4 is deformed to provide a lip or anchor 15. The wall I3 is bent back upon itself to form an envelope It, the long axis of which is substantially parallel to the horizontal axis of the road slabs. The envelope so formed is adapted to receive and retain a section of welded fabric mesh reinforcing designated H, the balance of the mesh extending back over the horizontal flanges l3 and I4 and bridging the space between the walls lll and II.

The space created between the parallel walls Ill and II is filled with a yielding compressible filler such as cork, fiber-board, rubber or a felt saturated with a bituminous material. These fillers are designated I8 on the drawing.

The joint member described is preferably employed in the construction of concrete slabs, which slabs are reinforced with a wire fabric mesh, and due to the popular limitations in construction today in laying the mesh, it is necessary for the contractor to build his slab in two sections or layers so that the first layer may be placed and struck off relatively even and to a definite depth before the plastic concrete has had an opportunithe usual procedure of construction. The wire fabric is next placed and the upper portion of the stool of the joint is set over to register with the lower portion as shown in the drawing. The seal is clipped in place and the balance of the concrete is poured. In this case the seal member $15 comprised of a flexible material to-conform to the section of stool having parallel wall flanges 20 engaging the vertical 'walls l and II of the stool and then being bent outwardly forming anchors 2| which are adapted to be embedded and keyed into the respective slabs.

As shown on the drawing, this seal member 6 is-located relatively below the top face of the slabs 8 and 9 and in pouring the concrete this space may be.fllled with a removable filler bar (not shown) and after the concrete is partially set up this bar removed and this space filled with a hot asphalt or tar preparation as indicated at I on the drawing.

In' operation, as the respective slabs 8 and 9 move either due to expansion or contraction or purely mechanical forces, the compressible material I8 located within the stool will compress and form a cushion between the slabs, and as the 1 envelopes I6 contain the ends of the wiremesh fabric the respective ends of the fabric are not bonded to the slab and will be permitted to move within the envelopes.

* As a means of transmitting load from one slab to the next adjoining and through the joint the wire fabric bridging the joint will perform this function in proportion to the size or cross-section of the reinforcingfabric employed. I

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:--

1. A joint for sealing the space between the ends of adjacent slab sections comprising a body formed in two like halves which are placed face to face, each half consisting of a deep channel section having spaced side walls and a bottom connecting wall, each of.v said side walls terminating in a flange extending at substantially a right angle thereto, an envelope formed at the termination of one end of each of the flanges, an anchor member terminating the end of the opposite flange, a yielding filler interposed between said spaced side walls, reinforcing members partially encased within the envelope and extending back across the face of each channel section each into its respective slab section, and a seal capping the top of the joint so formed.

2. A joint for sealing the space between the ends of adjacent slab sections comprising a body formed in two like halves placed face to face, each half consisting of a deep channel section having spaced side walls and a bottom connecting wall, a flange terminating each of said side walls, an envelope formed at the termination of one end of each of the flanges, a yielding filler interposed between said spaced side walls, and reinforcing members partially encased ,within the envelope ,and extending back across the face of each channel section and into the respective slab section.

3. Means for sealing the space between the ends of adjacent slab sections comprising a body section having spaced side walls, a flange extending from each side wall, an envelope carried by one flange and'a plate bearing carried by the other flange, a yielding flller interposed between said spaced side walls, loadtransfer members one end of which is partially encased and free to move within the space created by the envelope and extending therefrom back across the space between the spaced side walls and into their respective slab sections and having bearing upon said plate.

4. Means for sealing the space between the ends of adjacent slab sections comprising a body sectionhaving spaced side walls, flanges extending from said body, an envelope carried by one flange, and a load transfer member one end of which is partially encased and free to move within the space established by the envelope, and the opposite flange serving as a bearing for the loadtransfer member.

5. Means for sealing the space between the ends of adjacent slab sections comprising a pair of spaced side walls, a pair of flanges extending therefrom, one of which carries an envelope substantially normal to the plane thereof, and a plurality of load transfer members partially encased and free to move within the envelope and extending therefrom back across the space between the walls and having a sliding bearing upon the opposite flange in the opposite slab section.

6. Means for connecting and sealing the space between the ends of spaced slab sections comprising a joint, an envelope formed from the material thereof and extending therefrom'into one slab, a plate extending in the same plane and opposite thereto and a slab reinforcing member partially encased and free to move within the envelope and extending therefrom back across the space between the slabs and having bearing upon the plate and being anchored into the opposite slab section.

7. Means for sealing the space between the ends of spaced slab sections comprising a joint, a pair of flanges, formed of the material of the joint, each flange extending from the joint and into a slab, an envelope formed of the material of one flange; and a load transfer member partially encased and free to move within the envelope and spanning the space between the slabs and having bearing oneach flange.

8. In a road joint having a pair of metallic walls, the combination with a pair of adjoining slabs and with the joint, of a reinforcing member for carrying the applied load across the joint, a pair of flanges formed of the material'of the joint, said reinforcing member spanning the joint and being embedded within and anchored directly to one of the adjoining slabs and slidably portion of said joint, and which portion of said joint is embedded within and anchored to said last mentioned slab.

. JAMES H. JACOBSON. 

